Crown closure feeding device



7 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 29, 1948. D. L. sHANKLlN ErAL l CROWN CLOSUBE FEEDING DEVICE original Filed oct. 21, 1942 June 29, 1948. D. I .sHANKLlN Erm.

CROWN CLOSURE FEEDING DEVICE '7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Fld Oct. 21, 1942 4 June 29, 1948. D. L. sHANKLl Erm. 2,444,232

` CROWN CLOSURE FEEDING DEVICE Original Filed 001'.. 21, '1942 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 June 29, 1948. D. L. sHANKLlN Erm.v 2,444,232

' cnovm cLosuRE FEE'DING mman Original Filed Oct. 21, 1942 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 lllllu June 29, 1948. D. l.. sHAN'KLlN Erm. v` 2,444,232

CROWN` cLosURE FEEDING DEVICE original Filed oct. 21, 1942 '7 SheetSV-Sheet 5 June 29, 1948. D. L. sHANKLlN ErAL 2,444,232

` CROWN CLOSURE FEEDING DEVICE original Filed oct. 2 1, 1942 'lY sheets-sheet e w3c-u..

June 29, 1948. D. 1 sHANKLIN ETAI. 2,444,232

l CROWN CLOSURE FEEDING DEVICE original Filed oct. 21, 1942 A '1 sheets-sheet 'r INVENTOR z/ndr @Mai/ins @gy/@Mad P. was

Patented June 29, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE CROVVN'CLOSURE FEEDING DEVICE Original application October 21, 1942, SerialNc.

1944; Serial No. 539,659

2 Claims. (Cl. B14-8.5)

This invention relates to a high speed, automatic machine for lining skirted closures and more particularly bottlef'crowns and caps according to the process claimed in the patent to Charles H. Egan, No. 1,956,012.

The function of the machine is to feed unlined crowns beneath nozzles which inject a liquid composition into the crowns, spin the crowns until the liquid composition has been banked against the vertical crown walls and then pass the crowns on to the belt of adrying apparatus where the liquid is evaporated from the composition and the composition is dried to form a distortable rubber-like seal which eifectually closes a glass container in an hermetic manner.

The objects of the invention are to produce a machine capable of handling large numbers of crowns in a rapid and effective manner, perform the lining operations automatically, produce a machine which will not stop or be placed out of order if the sealing compound accidentally misses a. crown and squirts into the machine parts, and produce a machine which will line crowns in a uniform manner to maintain close tolerances. These and other objects will becomeapparent from the speciiication and from the drawings in which:

Figures 1 and 2 are sectional views of a crown before and after the lining operation;

Figure 3` is` an end elevation ofthe complete crown lining apparatus,A theicrownv lining machine thereof being partly-in section on the line 3 3 of Figure Figure 4 is a View similar to Figure 3, showing the nozzle operating means;

Figure 5 is a rear elevation of the crown lining machine, the View being taken from the right ci Fig-ure 1 and being partly in section on the line 5 5 thereof;

Figure 6 isl a View simila-rtol Figure 5 showing the mounting of. the feed beam;

Figure 7 is a` plan view of Figure 5 partly brokenaway andfpartly in section err the line '1 -1 thereof;

Figure 8 is an enlarged vertical sectionA taken substantially on the `line 8-3 of Figure 5;

lvigure'Q` is a planviewof a; portion of Figure 8;

FigureslO and 1l are-'verticallsections takenon the lines lf--liliand |!'-I I: respectively of Figure8:;

Figure 12 is an enlarged fragmentary view in rear elevation and partly in section on the line I-2-v|2 .of `Fig-ure 8;'

Figure 13J isa plan view of Fig-uref` 12 Figure 14 lis-'ani' enlarged vertical section. simi- Divided and this application June 10,

2 lar to `Figure 84 showing the ini-tial operation of the crown lining machine;

Figure 15 is a horizontal section taken on the line l5'l5 of Figure 14;

Figures 16 and 17 are vertical sections taken on the lines lG-l and i'i-i'l respectively of Fig ure 14;

Figures 18 Iand 19 are views similar to Figure 14 but showing subsequent operations; and

Figure 2 0 is a vertical section taken en the line 2li- 20 of Figure 19.

General organisation Figure I of the drawings shows an unl'ined crown C such as is used to cap a container, It comprises a domed portion e which terminates at its open end in la ange or skirt b. Figure -2 shows the crown C after lining an operation in which the lining compound, indicated at d, is spread thinly over the central part of the portion and banked high against thev side" walls, thus providing a sealing mass of considerable thickness where contact is madeA with the' open end of the container.

The machine for applying the lining compound comprises a table-like casting 3B' having a base 3|', side members 3'2 and a top or table 33. The crowns Clare. fedto the machine from a crown sorting and feeding mechanism of any conventional type. This mechanism, indicated at A in Figure 3, serves to align the crowns with a series of feed chutes 34, and` to pass into the chutes only crowns which face upwardly (open ends towards the right in. Figure 3). The crowns slide down the chutes 35, by gravity, but are checked by an escapement `mechanism E and released ,one at a time to receivers i5 through which feed slides 35 (Figures 3, 8y 14 and 17) reciprocate. Each of the receivers l5 (see particularly Figures 14, 15l andy 20) comprises two parts which are secured to the table top 33, improperly spaced relation to provide a receiving chamber 43 into which the crowns are discharged from the chute 34 `and a channel 41 through which the. crowns aremoved forward `by the feed slides 35; The receiving chamber 46- is formed, in part, by an undercut wall 43 which is curved as shown in Figure 14. The feed slides 35 move` the crown-s forward to rotary chucks 36'. rIfhese chucks r0- tate the crowns while thecompound (Lis sq-uirted into them from nozzles N. When the crowns have been-lined theyare stripped from the chucks and moved forward through ways or tracks 38 by'stripper fingers Sato a group of distributing guides 40, by which they are placed on the con- Crown delivery The crowns are delivered to each chuck by a chute 34 and descend to lining position when released by the escapement E5. The escapement assembly comprises a rocker arm 50 having front Y.

The assembly is biased by a spring 54, which normally pulls the escapement into lche position shown in Figures 18 and 19. A pin 5 carried by 1 each of the operating arms 5| engages the under side of its corresponding chute 34 (Fig. 14) t limit the movement of the escapements, and, consequently, of the rocker arms 55, in one direction, while an adjustable abutment screw adapted to be engaged by the latch arm 52 limits the movement in the other direction of the rocker arms 58, as shown in Figures 18 and 19. A manually operable latch mechanism is provided for locking each escapement to stop the feed of each separate line of crowns. The latch comprises a shaft 55 which also extends across the chute 34 and which carries a square block 56 arranged to bear against a leaf spring 5l (Figures 8, 14, 16 and 18). The latch 58 carries an operating handle 59 and an adjustable abutment screw 65. When the handle 59 is lifted, spring 51, working against the block 56, snaps the shaft 55 through 90 and causes the abutment screw 6D to engage the locking arm 52. This movement throws the rocker arm 5!) into its forward (non-delivery) position where the crown is stopped by the front stop pin 2 carried by the rocker arm 5|).

chute s4 (Figures 3, 7, s. 14, 16, 1s and 19). 15

Feed

`Shaft lll (Figures 3 and 5.) carries two eccentrics 1| and 12. These actuate rocker arms 73-14 through eccentric straps 15-16 pivoted to the arms art 'I1-7B. Pins '19--80 attached to the main frame form the fulcrum points for the arms. The free ends of the rocker arms are connected by links 3|k with a feed beam 82 (Figures 5, 6 and 7 which ismounted in ways 83 (Figures 6 and 7) in such a manner that it may reciprocate across the surface of the table 33 which forms the top of the main frame. Feed beam 82 carries the operating mechanisms for the several escapements, which comprise a series of plungers 95 slidaloly mounted in brackets 9| secured to the feed beam. Each plunger S5 is urged towards the operating arm 5| of its corresponding escapement by a spring 52, the movement of each plunger, so caused, being limited by a nut 93 in threaded engagement with a reduced rear portion thereof (Figures 8, 14, 18 and 19). A

feed slide 35 (Figures 3, 8, 14 and 15) is attached to the feed beam 82 opposite each chuck and in line with its center. Feed slides 35--35 are capable only of delivering crowns from the chutes 34 to the chucks 36. The removal of the lined crowns from the chucks 36 is performed by the stripper lingers 3S which extendparallel to the line of chucks a short distance in advance of the feed slides 35. Fingers 39 are mounted at the ends of arms 4 also are attached to the feed beam 82.

The feed operation is as follows. When the handles 59 are in the position shown in Figures 8, 14, and 18, the crowns are free to descend until engaged by the front stop pin 2 (as shown in Figure 18). -As the feed beam 82 advances, the spring pressed plungers 9B strike the escapement operating arms 5| and rotate them together with Vthe rocker arms 50 until the pins 5 carried by arms -5I hit the bottom walls of the crown chutes 34.

Then the springs 9| are compressed as the feed beam 82 advances further. Rotation of the rocker arm 5l) releases the lowermost crown C1 shown stopped by the. pin 2 in Figures 18 and 19, while pin 3 stops crown CZ (Figure 14) Crown C1 now v slides into the position shown in Figure 14. As thecrown descends to this position, the forward portion of its skirt b engages the wall 48 of the receiver 45 which forces the crown to settle down onto the top of the lfeed slide 35. The radius of curvature of a bottle crown is 5 inches. Hence, in falling on to a lat surface, crowns rock badly. To prevent this, each slide 35 is slotted as shown at 35 (see particularly Figures 14-17 inclusive) to give the crown a two-point support.- In addition, damping magnets 94 are inserted in the table directly beneath `the receiving chambers. The slot in the slide 35 also prevents shorting of the magnetic field. As a result of the combined effect of the curvature of the receiving chambers, the two point support provided by the feed slides 35 and the damping effect provided by the magnets 94, the crowns, despite their curvature, come to rest at once.

The feed slide Y35 nowv starts its backward stroke from the position shown in Figure 14. The crown, resting on the slide 35 moves backwards with the slide, but is stopped when it engages the front face of the chute 54 while the slide continues to be retracted beneath the crown until it reaches the position shown in Figure 18. Just before the slide reaches the end of its reverse stroke, the crown drops off the slide and occupies the position shown in Figures 18 and 19 just above the magnet 54.. Meanwhile, the backing away of plunger 95 allows the biasing spring 54 to snap the escapement mechanism into the position shown in Figures 18 and 19 and thus prevent further discharge of the crowns from the chute until after the feed slide 35 has again been advanced to its forward position. Note that the magnets 94 are not flush with but are sunk slightly (f) below the table top. This depression forms a ring seat for the crown which thus lis steadied by the circular line of support and the pull of the magnet.

Chucks and chuck drive The chucks 35 rotate continuously. Each chuck is provided in its upper face with a shallow counterbore |05 and communicating therewith is an axial bore lll Each `chuck is carried on a spindle |02 (Figs. 3, 5, 8, 14, 18 and 19) which is provided throughout its length with an axial bore |53 that is aligned with axial bore and counterbore |50 of the chuck. Each spindle is mounted in ball bearings |54 (Figure 8) which are fastened in the spindle beam |05. Each spindle |52 enters vacuum chest |06, through sleeve bearings |51. The chest |06 which acts as a spilled compound sump, is provided with cleanout plugs 25 (Figures 5 and 8) and a removable cover 2B, shown in Figures 3 and 8. Rods |03 (Figure 5) extending between the table top 30 and the chest |56 form guides on which the beam |15 is mounted and along which it reciprocates vertically. The vertical motion of the spindle beam |05 is derived 5. froml the cams;` Ifillv and II (Figures 3 and 5).V carried oni-shaft4 |IIl2. Each. cam works against a carni follower assembly which comprises a cam follower |`|3fcarriied1 by a spring `biased arm IIiQfy pivoted on the main tramezatfl |55 (Figure 31) and attached at l I6 to the adjustable. beam push rods I lil; @nel of: the.y biasing springs isa shown at 'l (Figura 3).. Asshaft ll |521:` revolves, the spindle beam m51, and, consequently; all: of thev chucks 36, will rise and fall. Each spindle bearsv a, ver tically movable gear |2 (Figures 3, 51,. and. S) which meshes with fixed4 gears. |21.A The; gears miliareA driven a gear` |22: meshing with at least one.V ot the gears4 |2| andl carried ons thefshait tvwhich is iournaledf` inf a. special extension Milt of ther vacuum chest L66; The lowerA end or shfagttili-bears a rbevel pin-ion |2455 Which meshes i wthlthe `bevel'gear |26 carriedi on the. shaft lil. Thel'shalit 1|): (Figures l and 5) is drivenfby gears 2,2. from the; shaft H2 which isy itself `driven by a A shown in Figures 14, 1s5= and 184 thestripper ingers 3.9i. which reciprocate wthf the feed slides pass, on` theirA-reti-irnl or rearward strokes; through annular g-nooves- Boutin the chucksbecause the chucks are intheir upper positions at this time.

Thech-ucks remaindown throughout most of the forward strokes of thefeed slides., Upon advance of. the feed slides.; the stripper fingers` 3,92 pass above. the. chin-:lss 3(5and sweep the*v linedI crowns olf, and into theways 38,. while, the feed; slides 35 push the. next crowns. through the.` channels il :r

alldcntothe chuck` faces. Magnets 9.a and M." (similar to. the, magnets: da previously described) are. provided, respectively, to stabilizethel crowns asthey pass. through. the channels M and asthey are receiyed in the. delivery ways .38.-

The crowns, are pushed nearly to` their nal positions.A on. the. chucks by the `feed slides. They are guided, intov final position by theuertical Walls of the counterbores |00.. crownis. seated on the circular edge formedat the. junction oz they ccunterbora mi) andthe axial bore lol, and uvhenseated, shuts: off the dow. of air into the chuck.

The nozzles N diier but. slightly from nozzles used on. can. end, lining. machines. Each consists of a, stainless steelibody FSU; (see particularly Figure 12v) having a replaceable nose piece 53| a needle |32 andaspringbarrel, |33.. A spring l'lll bears against a collar-supported by a shoulder on needle and normally urges the needle against a ground seat in the nose piece. Lining coinpound is prevented from. entering the spring housing by the diaphragm |35. The immediate supply.' of lining compoundr. is stored in thetanlr t3@ (Figure. 5.).V andy delivereclfthrough atube 29, toA the manifold. |31v andirorn the manifold thazough tubes Il tothenozzles Nby a pneumatic head ofjaiew poundsderived from. the compressor lff. Manifold. |3|..is. supportedzby brackets |13 (Figures 3.,'. 5r 7 and 12)v scour-.edito a cross rail I'lifwhich-.is itself.adjustablyfsupported by brackets tlgand lllisecured. to. opposite y sid-es of the:` table 3th Whenithe needle |32 is raised in thenozzle N, a steam of compound is shot downwardly. With the pneumatic head and diameter of the orifice in the nose piece |3| fixed, the quantity of compound which the nozzle delivers is controlled by the lift of the needle. Adjustment of needle lift is secured by means of handwheels |48, MI which are in threaded engagement with needle pull rods |42, the upper handwheels IM 6; servingmerely aslock nuts, while the lower handwheels Momalle the actual adjustment.

Indiniducllocloout.

slide rock Mlfomthe. needle litzloalri I'dlMrEigures `3', 5;, 8g; 12; and 13 which is: slidahly mounted inlift bar. Iddabeneathacover plates tilt? operates a-number oflatches M5. llatclnes tt are: pro.- vided with apertures; |545@ througl'r which the needle puil rods lifl2jpass.. The apertures iilllare keyhole shapedso that they clear the needle pull rods Mld but engage the bottom tace e' of the needle adf usting handyvheels M lltwhenthe latches M: arev their operatingpositions.shown` most clearly in Figures: 12jand 1 3., Each of. the latches |1655 isi provided. With-.an upstandi-ng. handle: lili?. is received between arms oi a fork M8 securedito'thesliderod. |43. Handles tillxcarry sprung pressed balls:` M9 (Figure: 121).' which are adaptedi to engage: either one ot two notches g formed in a portion of' the needle. lift: bar Uitl. notches ci are. spaced to limi-tthe movement of. the latch to: its operative and-.inoperative postions. When either handle` tEd of' 4the slide rod M3 is moved toward the right in Figures 5:,...1'2

' and 13, theyenlarged portionsof the apertures Mii 01 `the latches Mtherr clearl the shank portions f ot the. adjusting `handwheels la. and all of thc needles: are: then renderedainoperative. However,

one of; the latches mayV be actuated independently toi render its corresponding needle operati'lvo orinoperative byy manipulation of?" one of theihanrliles' Ill-f'l.) E01" example, 5g the handle llt'lf is shown i'n `posilnontoI render the latch M5? inoperative whiley theV remainder of the latches. are4 in: their operative` positions` The. vertical movement of the needle: lift bar Iell (Figures lar-m5) is secured by motion derived from` cams r5.5 and: |562 mounted' on theopposite outboarclfendsof. theshaft; I;|2=: Thecams motion is. transmitted through' cam followerslland I mand' connecting rods t2: and* t3 `tol the beam-@push rods |51vv and |58 whichrare `guid'edior vertical movementv inssleeves carried by the, brackets |591 and l'tllrupreviously referred to,` Springs', surrounding` the` push, rods` and mounted between the( table 30 and: a collar I4' on the rods urge thecanr fol'- lowers El.'Y and Hl'. intocOntinuous contact with their respective cams. When the: shaft` M2 revalves., the needlabeam HM' is raised and; lowered in timed: relation to the other operations of' the machine.

Asy previously.` explained, the crownsy when seated4 on the chucks 316; form an effectual seal which prevents theY passage of air through the chucks il@ andi the chuck spindles' |162". By cons nectingf a vacuum pump? with thelvacuum chest |06; byl means of atube H551 (Figures 3^, 5, and Sra continuouscurrent of air is pulled2 through the chucks. 'lhuswhcn` a crown is moved. onto the face oi* a chuck it is pulled into position in the counterbore, by the vacuum which iscreated. The needles |321andy chuckst lift` practically at the same. moment` and just before the chuck and' the crown which it holds, rea-ches its, top position., the compound liows into the crown. as shown in Figure 1.4i.` Then` the4 needle lift.. bar |44 falls, the nozzles close and the ow of compound to all crowns stops before the chucks begin to descend. The loaded crowns spin in the raised position (Figure 18) after the ow of compound stops. The rotary speed of the chuck is set to create va centrifugal force greater than the yield value of the lining composition so that the compound squirted into the center of the crown is banked against its vertical walls. The cross section of a lined crown (Figure 2) shows the type of lining which is secured by this operation. The entire inner surface of the crown is covered with compound which is materially thinner in the center, or non-sealing portion, and thicker at the edges where a mass of sealing material is required to form a plastic seat for the open end of a bottle or other container,

After the lining has been given the form shown in Figure 2, the chuck falls, the feed slides 35 and stripper ngers 39 begin to advance and the machine begins a second cycle of operation. As the crowns are pushed off the chuck they enter the delivery ways 38, the side walls I5 of which are cut away at I6 (Figures 8, 14, 15, 18 and 19) so that the stripper fingers may enter. A cross section through one of the ways 38 is shown in VFigure 10, in which the side walls I5 are shown supported by brackets 'secured to the table 39 (see also Figures 3, 7, 8 and 9). A floating tcp brake |11, urged towards the table by a spring |12, prevents the crowns from overriding, locking their angcs together, or jamming in the tracks 38.

The inner ends of the distributing guides 49 are pivoted at to cross members 24 (Figures 3, 7, 8, 9 and 11) to swing horizontally through arcs (from the full line to the broken line positions in Figure 7) controlled by a cam |16 loosely mounted on the shaft ||2 (Figures 3, 5, and 7), and driven from the shaft 10 by a train of gears indicated at 2|. The motion is transmitted from the cam 16 to the distributing guides 40 through a cam follower |11 carried by an arm |18 which is pivoted at |19 to the base of the machine. The free end of the arm |18 is connected by a link 189 with one end of an arm IBI, the other end of which is secured to the lower end of a vertical rocker shaft 32. The upper end of the rocker shaft carries an arm |83 (Figures 3 and 7) which is pivotally connected to one end of a cross member |84 to which the distributing guides 49 are pivotally connected (see also'Figures 8 and 9). The other end of the cross member |84 is pivotally connected to an arm |85 equal in length to arm |83, and pivotally connected to the table 39. As shown in Figure 7, cam |16 is designed to move the distributor arms step-wise, allowing them to dwell momentarily as each crown drops onto the moving belt. A steep contour at one place in the cam causes a quick return swing of the distributing guides. The return swing takes the same length of time as an advancing step, so that, as the cam revolves, crowns being delivered at the end of the guides cover substantially the full surface of the/conveyor belt 4| (Figure 7) where the broken line positions indicate the successive delivery points of the crowns which are dropped in one sweep of the distributing guides, The full line position indicates the first crown dropped in the following sweep. The belt 4| passes through a conventional can end lining tunnel dryer (not shown) where the liquid content of the lining compound is evaporated.

Although the machine has been described as a crown lining machine, and crowns of the familiar type have been illustrated, it is obvious Vthat the machine is equally well adapted to the lining of skirted container closures of any type and we intend that the word crown as used in the specification and claims shall include skirted closures generally.

The present application is a division of our application Serial No. 462,892, filed on October 2l, 1942, which issued as Patent No. 2,442,179 on May 25, 1948.

We claim:

1. In a crown feeding device, the combination of an inclined trackway down which crowns slide to a feeding station, an escapement mechanism including a rocking member for releasing crowns from the trackway one by one, means for biasing said rocking member in its non-feeding position, a reciprocating feed slide mounted to reciprocate below the end of said trackway, an operating member carried by said slide and positioned to engage and operate said rocking member to its feeding, position to release a crown from said trackway, yielding means connecting said operating member with said slide to permit continued movement of said feed slide after movement of said operating member has been stopped by said rocking member, and a manually operable latch for latching said rocking member in its nonfeeding position and serving to prevent operation of said escapement mechanism while permitting reciprocation of said slide.

2. In a crown feeding device, the combination of an inclined trackway down which crowns slide to a feeding station, an escapement mechanism including a rocking member for releasing crowns from the trackway one by one, means for biasing said rocking member in its non-feeding position, a reciprocating feed slide mounted to reciprocate below the end of said trackway, an operating connection between said slide and said rocking member for moving said rocking member 1into its feeding position by reciprocation of said slide, means for locking said rocking member in its non-feeding position and for holding said rocking member against operation by said slide, and yielding means embodied in said operating connection for permitting continued reciprocation of said slide while said rocking member is locked in non-feeding position.

DUNBAR. L. SHANKLIN. RICHARD P. STOKES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the nie of this patent:

UN'I'ED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 613,349 Woodland Nov. 1, 1898 702,388 Wing June 10, 1902 944,352 Allwardt Dec. 28, 1909 1,081,505 Keller Dec. 16, 1913 1,748,914 Dewey Feb. 25, 1930 1,932,529 Nagy Oct. 31, 1933 2,069,762 Johnson Feb. 9, 1937 2,133,353 Johnson Oct. 18, 1938 2,344,460 Herniani Mar. 14, 1944 

